Day 9 and Day 10

 We had a surprise wintry blast today! When I looked at the weather on my phone this morning I knew we were expecting cold temperatures and rain storms but what we got was a LOT of snow!  Audrey and I took advantage and went outside.  She played while I shoveled.  Last year we got a snow like this and she wasn't so sure... This year she was all about it!  It's amazing how much she can change in one year.

So for Day 9 I am thankful for this lovely purple hand-me-down snow suit that fit Audrey perfectly.  Without hand-me-downs we wouldn't have been prepared for this snowy adventure.  We would have squeezed into last year's snow suit made for a 6 month old (and believe me, we prob could have made it work.  Audrey's not known for her large stature...).  It's amazing how you think you've got everything covered, pants, shirts, socks, shoes, skirts, sweaters, a coat, mittens, a hat, but you can completely overlook something as important as a snow suit!  Thank you, friend of my mom, for buying this snow suit for your granddaughter and for her outgrowing the snow suit after only wearing it a couple of times when she came to visit and for passing it down to us for our enjoyment.  We will make it last!

Day 10 piggybacks onto Day 9.  For Day 10 I am thankful for the pizza delivery men who have to deliver pizza when I'm too scared to get out on the roads myself, and heaven knows I don't cook on the weekends!  Audrey and I were so very happy when the delivery man showed up in his snow-covered non-4-wheel-drive car delivering our one large peperoni pizza.  Part of me feels very guilty putting someone else on the road while we are warm in our house, so please, everyone, when you say your prayers tonight, pray for all those delivery men and women who carry on through inclement weather.  They definitely don't get enough credit. 

Happy Snowy Day everyone.  Now.  To find the candy bowl and wash the pizza down with something chocolaty and delicious!

Day 7 & 8

As I began typing today's post I realized something I am VERY thankful for, that I was not prepared to write about yet.  I'm going to make you hold onto your britches in anticipation.  The thing that you're waiting to hear about is the reason I'm combining two posts into one..  I BET YOU CAN'T WAIT!

The theme for today's post is: Surviving Toddlerhood.  For all you new parents out there who want to know the two things that make the most difference in our daily lives?  HERE THEY ARE!

Day 7 - I am thankful for pretzels.

Day 8 - I am thankful for Shout.






















These two household supplies are what make our little life go round.  Living with a toddler means that things can go from extreme happiness to terrible tantrums in a matter of seconds.  The culprit?  HUNGER.  Our little love bug goes from being perfectly content to being besides herself with hunger and the one food that can tide her over until a suitable snack/meal can be ready... PRETZELS.  I keep them in the car, in my purse, on the counter, in the closet, and since we eat them so much around here I'm sure at any moment you could reach between a couch cushion if you were desperate enough (What about the dog you say?  Shouldn't he find all of the pretzel shards that are wounded on their way to toddler battle?  Our hound dog is not known for his ability to locate crumbs.  He is known for his ability to leap through the air and remove food from your hand just as it is about to enter your mouth, but put a pretzel piece on the floor in front of him and he's clueless).  Things are looking up as Audrey becomes more verbal.  We now have at least a 10 second warning, as she bellows SNACK to start preparing sustenance.  Poor pretzels, they may one day be a legend of lore.

Shout is the second household item that we use on a daily basis.  We keep it on Audrey's dresser next to the diaper cream and the q tips.  You'll notice I purchase the Economy Size - at $2.50 a pop it's some the best money I spend.  I spray it on Audrey's clothes, on my clothes, the carpet, you name it, we've probably sprayed it because it's been covered in some unidentified toddler goo.  Tonight was no different.  After a nice long bath we went into our routine of getting lotion, putting on jammies, and doing the nightly check for a douse of Shout. 

Want to know something I'm not thankful for?  That my sweet peanut is waking up at 4:00 am after the time change.  So on that note... good night :)

Day 6: Eating with a Fork

Tonight I would like to relieve some stress and let you know what I am most thankful for on this day.

Today, November 6th, I am thankful that as adults we do not take noodles off our plates, rub them on our noses, stick them in our ears, and then eat them with our fingers.

Can we all just give a shout out to the toddlers of the world?  Without them we might not know just how disgusting eating a meal can be.  Scott and I are constantly laughing at the thought of adults having toddler tendencies.  The above is just one of many examples.

Can you imagine a group of adults sitting at a table, one leg on the table, one leg kicking underneath screaming PEACHES!

Or imagine a race amongst runners who run while wiggling their butts in that way that only a toddler can do.

When Audrey gets in the car the first thing she does is get rid of her shoes - that could be a smelly situation.

So tonight I am thankful that we leave our toddler tendencies behind.  (That is, until we argue at our house, then all bets are off!)

Day 5: Super Why

Spend two minutes in our house and you will know all about this toddler show on PBS.  We have so many episodes DVRed we barely have room for Keeping Up with the Kardashians (and we all know how important it is to keep up with them!). 

I am thankful for this show for so many reasons. 

First, the catchphrase "This is a super-big problem" comes in handy when Scott or I have minor disagreements -

Scott:  It's important to use only one dish towel at a time.  Never two or three.
Sarah: This is a super-big problem.

Second, I love the rhyming song that Red sings.  It's very catchy.

Third, hearing the super-big problems the Super Readers have to solve really puts life into perspective.

And finally, it's a show that keeps Audrey entertained while I make dinner, make a phone call, or just relax after a long day.

I wish I could say she likes to snuggle while watching, but my little one is not a snuggler (a trait she got from her mother I'm afraid).

It really is a cute show, and less painful than many others (hello... Pokoyo anyone? Yo Gabba Gabba?  YIKES!). 

(Don't judge me for letting Audrey watch t.v.  We are a family of t.v. toads.  It is in her blood.  Plus, we also read to her from time to time, and have been known to play with her on occasion as well.)

So, for the moment:

"Hip Hip Hooray! (HOORAY!)
The Super Readers Saved the Day"

Day 4: Syrup

I've written before about our love of pancakes on Sunday mornings.  I don't know how it happened, but we have managed to reproduce a child who does not share our love for pancakes.  Each week I make her a pancake with berries mixed in and she proceeds to pick out all the berries and eat them, leaving scraps of a pancake behind.  It's a sad sight, made even more sad by the fact that SHE DOESN'T LIKE PANCAKES!

However, she does LOVE syrup.  She thinks any sauce is syrup (ketchup, ranch, jelly, they are all the same).  We have done our best to link syrup WITH pancakes but to no avail.  You can see in the picture we have put syrup on her pancake and she then dipped her finger in the syrup, licked it off, and left the pancake behind.  Now, if we were to put syrup on a pile of cheese and black beans, I'm sure THAT would be eaten with gusto.  Silly girl. She and I are complete opposite.  I will scarf a pile of pancakes and leave the syrup behind.  It's not my favorite condiment.

Still, I am thankful for syrup.  It's the glue that holds our pancake Sunday tradition together.  As Scott and I dig into our pancakes Audrey is singing about syrup and picking the berries out of her pancakes.  It's a pretty awesome way to start a Sunday. 

Day 2-3

Disclaimer:  The purpose of my 30 Days of Thankful is to bring a little laughter to your days.  Please, know that I really value reading about all the serious things people are thankful for.  I do not mean to make those things trivial, I only mean to bring to light some of the things in life that often get overlooked!

Day 2:  Today, I am thankful for the ability to create human life so they can grow up and start carrying their weight around the house!  Sure, Audrey's sweet, sure she makes life better just by being born, sure it's amazing to watch her grow, but the REAL reason we had kids is to lessen the work load (ha. Ha hahahahaha). 

After visiting with a friend and seeing how awesome her 2 Year Old was able to carry out his nightly duty I decreed it was time for Audrey to start earning her keep around here!  Tober is a big fan :)

Day 3:  Today, I am thankful for running tights.  Full length, warm, slimming running tights.  Sara and I decreed we would run through the winter and not give up after we finished our half marathon, and run we do!  Nothing is more important on these Colorado winter runs than being warm, and my running tights do just the job.  So, thank you, running tights.  Thank you for keeping my legs warm and for making my tushy look good.

Day 1: Thankful Thanksgiving

Last year many of my friends posted something they were thankful for on their Facebook status each day of November.  I caught on too late, but really enjoyed reading everyone's updates.  Instead of posting on Facebook I thought I would put my blog to good use and get into a little more detail.

Before I begin I feel it is important to state that I am most thankful for my husband, daughter, parents, and siblings.  I could write about how much I love them every day.  They are my number one.  I don't think that probably comes as a surprise to anyone though.  I also think it is important to note that I am thankful for my house, my job, my friends, and my freedom.  All of those things rank top ten for sure.

But that's so obvious, right?  So, without further adieu, let's get to the meat of this post.

Day 1: I'm thankful for Frozen Orange Chicken from PF Changs in the frozen section of Target.  Not only can I go from no dinner to complete dinner in under 15 min. it's completely delicious.  On nights, like tonight, when I'm exhausted and trying to find something to eat that's not Kraft mac and cheese (we were out... that's my number 1 go-to...) I am so thankful that someone else has prepared a full meal, flash frozen it, and sold it in bulk at my neighborhood Target. 

So, thank you, frozen meal, for providing sustenance for my family.  You even include vegetables, an added bonus!